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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for crushing poured concrete roadways into rubble (hereinafter xe2x80x9crubblizingxe2x80x9d) using a compaction roller, and more particularly to an improved method for rubblizing concrete using a roller designed to compact broken ground, rubblized surfaces and gravel roads and the like.
(2) Background Information
In the repair and reconstruction of streets and highways, it is typically necessary to remove the existing concrete and prepare the underlying surface for new concrete. The process for breaking hardened concrete is conventionally quite time-consuming, thereby slowing down the entire reconstruction project.
Prior art apparatus for breaking concrete includes large, high-density balls which are dropped on the concrete to break it into small pieces. In addition, xe2x80x9cguillotinesxe2x80x9d have been utilized, which have a heavy weight with a sharpened lower edge that is driven downwardly by gravity to drive a wedge into the concrete. When a guillotine is used, the wedge must typically be dropped a number of times in order to cause the splitting and breaking-apart of the concrete. Other methods available for breaking concrete include the use of jack hammers and the like. Again, such apparatus and methods are typically very slow.
In response to these problems, the inventor herein created a new device, which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,387, entitled xe2x80x9cConcrete Breaking Apparatus.xe2x80x9d
That invention is very successful in cracking and breaking the concrete of streets and roadways, to permit removal of the surface material. However, the inventor has found that there are situations where the broken concrete could be left in place to serve as a support bed, if the concrete could be broken into sufficiently small pieces of rubble. This, in turn, would dramatically reduce the time and expense that would otherwise be required to remove the concrete and install a gravel or similar particulate support bed.
In addition, the compaction roller used in such a method would need to be modified in order to assure that the roller would roll over particulate material, and not merely slide across the surface.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved method for crushing concrete roadbed into rubble.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the rubblizing method of the invention.
A further object is to provide a method for rubblizing concrete using a compaction roller.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved compaction roller with a surface that will grip particulate and similar rough and particulate ground surfaces.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The concrete rubblizing apparatus of the present invention includes a non-circular multi-lobed roller connected to an axle on a wheeled frame such that the roller rolls upon the ground and the frame is towed by a tractor. Each lobe of the roller includes a set of cleats extending across a width of the roller and projecting outwardly from the impact surface of each lobe along a line parallel to the axle. The method of rubblizing includes moving the roller over a predetermined area of concrete along four, sequential overlapping paths.